“They were a hundred times more terrible in the grim silence which held them than ever when they howled. For myself, I felt a sort of paralysis of fear. It is only when a man feels himself face to face with such horrors that he can understand their true import.”

I chose this quote from Harker’s 1st journal because it just left a lasting feeling on me. When I read this all I could think of were moments in my own life that were similar to this, maybe not out of fear, but the pure shock that induced a sort of paralysis and frozen state. It is pretty strange to think about your own moments of vulnerability and how little you are able to do in some of these times. I felt that when I was reading this section when the wolves circled Johnathan and the Driver what I would do in that situation. It is impossible to know in advance, you can only do so little to prepare yourself for a situation like this, especially one that you would have never planned for. I hope I never am put into a situation like this where I will need to make a quick decision for my own survival, I don’t think I would be able to make one quick enough. If my instincts did kick in I think they would tell me to run if I was circled by a pack of wolves, I don’t think I would make it 9 times out of 10 but that 10% chance is a lot better than fighting 12 wolves with my bare hands.

What do you think you would do in this type of life or death situation? Do you think your fight or flight response would kick in quick enough to save you? Do you think you would fight or run?